Locomotive stoker



Oct. 22, 1929. A. R. CHALKER ET AL' 1,732,926

LocoMoTIvE sToxER Filed sept. 5o. 1936 2 sheets-snee: 1

Oct. 22, 1929. A. R. CHALKER `x51" AL 13325926 LocoMoTIvE .S1-0mm Filed sept, 5o. 192,6 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Oct. 22, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT Aol-"Flca ALBERT R. CHALKER AND WILLIAM G. BAILEY, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THEI STANDARD STOKER COMPANY, INC.,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CIOEPURATIONAOF` DELAWARE LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Application filed september 3o, 1926. j serial No. 138,683.

The invention relates to the type of stokers in which fuel is transferred from the tender to the locomotive through a. single centrally disposed conduit which discharges into a chamber member, commonly called the hopper, from which there lead two elevator conduits.

The fuel-advancing means in stokers of this type is usually in the form of a screw conveyor. The transfer screw has a tendency to urgethe fuel laterally as it enters the hop` per, thus causing an unequal distribution of the coal to the two elevator conduits, and this tendency is increased with certain kinds of fuel and if the fuel is wet.

1t has long been the practice to locate a dividing rib or vane in the hopper, so po sitioned as to counteract the tendency of the fuel to move toward one side of the hopper and secure as nearly as possible an equal division of the supply. lt has been common, also, to pivotally mount this so-called dividing vane in order that its position might be varied as the condition of the fuel changed.

The present invention is an improvement upon the pivoted form of dividing rib, and its objects are to render the device more easily and readily adjustable, and to secure greater accuracy in the subdivision of the fuel stream.

1n the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a detail plan of the stoker mechanism, with some parts broken away;

Figs. 2 and 3 are detail plans of the hopper, showing the dividing rib in different posit-ions of adjustment; and

Fig. #l is a detail vertical section on the line l-ll of Fig. 2, drawn to a larger scale.

The stoker in connection with which the invention is shown comprises a transfer conduit 10, within which tnere is located an advancing screw 11; a hopper 12 with which the conveyor conduit is connected by a form of universal joint, as indicated at 13, and from which project upwardly a pair of elevator conduits 111, 15, within each of which there is located an elevating screw 16, 17. At 18 there is conventionally represented a motor for driving the several. screws through suitable gearing, not shown.

The hopper 12 is af box-like casting of greater width than the conduit 110, and having a commodious chamber 19 into which the fuel is delivered. The conduits 14, 15, are connected with the chamber`l9 adjacent its oppo-site sides, and their lower ends `are therefore spaced apart a considerable distance.

The dividing vane 20' is pivoted in brackets 21, 22, secured centrally to the front wall 23 off the hopper, the vane projecting rearwardly toward the delivery end of the conduit 10. A strengthening brace 24 is shown as attached to the upper marginxof the vane, its rearward end being spaced apart therefrom and overlapping the bracket 22.

A toothed vquadrant 25 is secured to the top of the vane 20, and 'overhangs its forward end. A pinion 26 meshes with the quadrant and is carried by a shaft 27, projecting through the top wall of the hopper 12 and journaled in a boX 28 provided with a flange 29, which rests upon the top wall of the hopper and is `bolted thereto.A The shaft 27 is provided with a flange 30, resting upon the upper endof the boX 28. The upper end of the shaft 27 is squared for the application thereto of a socket wrench.

A series of apertures 31 is formed in the flange 29, and the top wall of the hopper, these apertures being in line with the teeth of the pinion 26 but spaced' a slightly less distance apart than are the teeth. A pin 32, set through one of the apertures 31, engages between a pair of the teeth of the pinion, locking the latter against rotation and the vane 20vagainst movement. The pin 32 may be attached to the structure to prevent its loss o-r misplacement by means of a chain 33 secured by one of the attaching bolts of the plate 29. The vane having been adjusted to the desired position by the turning of the shaft 27, the pin 32 is dropped into the aperture 31, which is found to be in register with a space between a pair of the teeth of the pinion 26. This differential spacing of the apertures 31 relatively to the teeth of the pinion provides for a fine adjustment of the dividing rib or vane with the spacing shown in the drawings. The vane may be locked in any one of fortydive positions, thereby, providing for a substantially uniform distribut-ion of the fuel to the two elevating conduits. The range of movement of the vane depends, of course, upon the length of the quadrant 25.

' Some form of limiting stops are desirable for preventing the disengagement of the pinion from the quadrant by t-oo great a turning movement. For this purpose a pair of hooks 34, 35, are formed on the ends of the quadrant for engaging the teeth of the pinion, and are of sufficient length to stop its turning movement.

The construction described not only provides for the equal subdivsion of the stream of fuel, but for the application of suiicient power to move the vane without dificulty, even though it may be embedded within a mass of fuel.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a Stoker, in combination, a transfer conduit, a hopper receiving therefrom a pair of elevator conduits extending upwardly from the hopper, a dividing vane pivoted in the hopper between the elevator conduits, a gear segment carried by the vane, a manually controlled pinion meshing with the segment. and a locking pin engageable with the teeth of the pinion. Y

2. In a stoker, in combination, a transfer conduit, a hopper receiving therefrom a pair of elevator conduits extending upwardly from the hopper, a dividing vane pivoted in the hopper between the elevator conduits, a gear segment carried by the vane, a manually controlled pinion meshing with the segment, a plate adjacent to the disc face of the pinion and having a series of apertures f alined with the teeth thereof, the spacing of the apertures differing from that of the pinion teeth, and a pin insertable in the apertures and between the pinion teeth.

In testimony whereof we aiX our signatures.

ALBERT R. CHALKER. WILLIAM G. BAILEY. 

